Recipe: Chocolate Brownies with Chocolate Mousse

I know that when I see a recipe calling for basically three desserts rolled into one, I skip it in favour of something simpler, like cookies. But if you think about it, pie is two desserts in one. The crust and then the filling. And many squares — say a classic Canadian Nanaimo — require two or three steps. So don’t let this multi-part recipe scare you. It’s actually no harder than pie and beyond delicious. In fact, during the 2-hour chocolate demonstration we not only witnessed Derrick Tu Tan Pho make ganache-filled macarons, he whipped up these beauties as well.

And topped them with drizzled chocolate.

Granted, we had no interruptions and a pro at the helm, but if you’re busy, you can make the brownies ahead of time. Or the mousse. Or just the mousse. As an incentive, here are two of Master Chocolatier Derrick Tu Tan Pho‘s best tricks.

Okay, it’s messy but it works. Every time. Years ago, I started doing this out of desperation because I’m clumsy. Imagine my delight when I learned my simple work-around is actually a professional technique.  To separate eggs without risk of getting shell or yolk in the whites, just tip a cracked egg into your palm and juggle it between your hands. The whites will slip effortlessly through your fingers and into the bowl below. You did do this over a bowl, right?

Oh, where was Derrick when I was whipping 13 consecutive pints of cream for my sister’s wedding dessert? After the first round, I washed the walls then held two sheets of waxed paper over the bowl. But this is easier, more effective and ridiculously simple.

So, now that you can separate the eggs and whip without splattering everything in a 10-foot radius, are you up to decadent chocolate brownie mouse?

Tomorrow? Wordless Wednesday. Thursday? Chocolate drizzles. Friday? I think I’ll have to post something healthy.